Improved knife for removing hair from hides



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BARZILLA HARRINGTON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND J. L. NEWTON, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVED KNIFE FOR REMOVING HAIR FROM HIDES.

Specification forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 56, 144, dated July 3, '1866; antedated June 22, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BARZILLA EARRING- TON, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new 4 and Improved Short-Hair Knife; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full` and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this speciiication, of which- Figures l and 2 represent opposite side views of the knife with guard attached; Fig. 3, a side view of the knife without guard, showing the dovetailed rib; Fig. 4t, the underside view of guard removed from the knife; Fig. 5, a section of guard and knife.

The letter a represents the handle; b, the blade; c, its dovetailed rib; cl, the guard; c, its dovetail groove; j'f, its outer sides.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

It is well known that in the process of converting green hides with the hair on into leather a large percentage of the hides are cut or so injured in the process that they are reduced from the first quality to a lower grade, and thus a loss is occasioned. It is well known, also, that after the hair has been removed by the usual process of liming and rubbing iL oft' there remains a short line hair or fur, and also hair on theV edges and extremities of the hide, which has to be removed by a sharp knife or other instrument, called the short-hair knife.

Now, the chief mischief is done to the hides` in removing this line hair by cutting or chipping the grain ofthe hide, and my invention is to prevent the possibility of cutting the hide, and at the same time furnish an equally good instrument for accomplishing the purpose, and I-will explain the same.

The accompanying drawings give an accu-' rate idea of the knife. It is made of steel, like ordinary knives, with the ordinary handle; but for convenience I makeY the blade with a double edge, as seen in Fig. 5, the under side of which is somewhat convex, being thickest in the middle and gradually decreasing in thickness to the edge. The upper side ofthe blade has a dovetail rib (marked c inthe drawings) in the middle or thick part A of the blade, and from this rib to the edge on either side the blade is somewhat concave.

Fig. 5 clearly shows the form of the blade- Figs. 4 and 6 show therform of the guard, which is made with a dovetail groove, (marked 6,) so as to slip closely onto the rib ,0. Figs. 2, et, and 6 clearly show its form. It is made of German silver, or brass, or copper, or any suitable metal or material. It should project beyond theedge of the blade about the sixteenth part of an inch. Its edges should be thick enough, or slightly corrugated on the inner side, so as to give it requisite stiness.

When the knife needs sharpening the guard may be easily slipped off and also ground down if necessary.

I use the knife in the same way as I use the ordinary knife,

The concave side of the blade and the openings of th'e guard allow the hair to pass off without inconvenience.

The blade and guard may be out and stamped into shape by machinery.

The rib may be riveted onto the blade, or made solid, by rolling it down whenhot on either side.

The expense of the knife will be slightlyv above the ordinary knife'.

I do not conline myself to the method described of fastening on the guard. It may be done by dispensing with the rib and the groovev and inserting the end of the guard into the handle by a slit in the handle,`and also in the guard, held fast by a piu, and at the other end by a screw passing through the guard into the blade, or other convenient way.

This form of knife will be invaluable in cleaning kid-skins for gloves, where so much care is needed to prevent chipping the grainits rib c, and its guard d, combined and arranged substantially as and for the purpose above set forth.

BAEZILLA HAEEINGTON.

Witnesses:

J. L. NEWTON, E. R. BRAKE. 

